By WJBC Staff
DAYTON, Oh. – The Peoria Chiefs scored in each of the first three innings as Jack Flaherty fired the first 6 1/3 innings of a shutout in a 7-0 win over the Dayton Dragons Wednesday night. With the win the Chiefs will go for the sweep Thursday with a record of 30-15 in the second half and 63-50 overall.
The Chiefs offense got going immediately against Dragons starter Junior Murillo. Andrew Sohn singled with one out in the top of the first and scored on a triple to center field by Paul DeJong. Alex Deleon put the Chiefs on top 2-0 with his team-leading 22nd double of the season and his 48th RBI.
Peoria doubled the lead in the second inning as Kenny Peoples-Walls double with one out and scored on a triple to left-center by Oscar Mercado. Sohn’s second hit in as many innings plated Mercado for a 4-0 Chiefs lead.
The bats kept it going against Murillo in the third. Newcomer Derek Gibson singled to right with two outs for his first Chiefs hit. Nick Thompson doubled home Gibson for a 5-0 lead and Jake Gronsky gave the Chiefs a 6-0 lead with a single to left.
Peoria added on against reliever Connor Krauss in the eighth. Gronsky doubled to left-center with one out and moved to third as Peoples-Walls reached on an error by shortstop Cory Thompson. Mercado was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Gronsky scored on a wild pitch for a 7-0 lead.
Flaherty allowed six hits over 6 1/3 shutout innings while walking three and striking out eight. Jhonny Polanco faced three batters, allowing one hit and recording a strikeout in 2/3 of a shutout inning. Steve Sabatino retired all three batters he faced with one strikeout. Kyle Grana threw a perfect ninth inning to preserve the shutout.
